A so-called wand and hose assembly for a vacuum cleaner is an assembly which comprises a suction wand fluidly connected to a suction hose. The suction hose is connected in use to a vac-motor on board the vacuum cleaner which draws dirty air in through the end of the suction wand, along the suction hose and into a dust separator provided on the vacuum cleaner. Wand and hose assemblies are provided as standard on cylinder vacuum cleaners, but they are also provided on upright vacuum cleaners, too—in addition to the main, fixed cleaner head—in order to make it easier to clean above the level of the floor.
The suction hose itself is a flexible hose which is intended to allow the user freely to manipulate the suction wand. In practice, however, the relative stiffness of a conventional vacuum cleaner suction hose does mean that it can tend to inhibit or impede free manipulation of the suction wand. This can make the suction wand awkward to manoeuvre and may result in user fatigue.